| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.28 |
| Liaison | Michelle Seppala Gibbs |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2023 |
Hope College
OP-16: Commute Modal Split
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.15 / 5.00 |
Michelle
Gibbs Director Office of Sustainability |
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment:
Full-time equivalent of employees:
Has the institution gathered data about student commuting behavior?:
Total percentage of students that use more sustainable commuting options as their primary mode of transportation:
A brief description of the method(s) used to gather data about student commuting:
We have conducted surveys on campus in regards to sustainable behaviors (such as commuting to campus) but these numbers did not come from that data.
This is estimated based on the percentage of students that live on or near campus during the Fall 2022 semester. Numbers and percentages were received from The Student Development Office
Full-time enrolled student Housing Options
On campus Res Halls = living on campus
On campus apartment/cottage = Hope owned housing within 1 mile of campus
Parent commuter = living in Holland or even up to Grand Rapids
Off-campus = living approximately within 2 miles of campus
Numbers for Fall 2022
Full-time enrolled students - 3,155.0 (this does not include off campus study abroad students)
On-campus Residence Halls 1497 (we can assume 100% sustainable)
On campus Apartments/cottages 975 (estimate 50% sustainable)
Parent Commuter 185 (we can assume 100% single occupant vehicles)
Off-campus 498 (estimate 50% sustainable)
Total 3155
Sustainable transportation = 1497 + 487 + 249 = 2,233 = 71%
Non-Sustainable transportation = 486 + 185 + 249 = 920 = 29%
Has the institution gathered data about employee commuting behavior?:
Total percentage of employees that use more sustainable commuting options as their primary mode of transportation:
A brief description of the method(s) used to gather data about employee commuting:
We have conducted surveys on campus in regards to sustainable behaviors (such as commuting to campus) but these numbers did not come from that data.
This is estimated based on the percentage of employees that live on or near campus and conversations with our Director of Operations based on our Master Plan.
We do not have specific data about how many electric vehicles are driven by staff/faculty at this time, but in auditing parking lots and email inquiries by staff/faculty we know more an more are driving these types of vehicles to campus. We also know there are a small handful of staff/faculty with electric bikes/uniwheels.
In the fall of 2020 a large number of staff/faculty continued to work remotely and since then HR provided an opportunity for staff/faculty to work remotely 1 day a week if their schedule/work allowed. There was a formal program for this offering.
Percentage of students and employees that use the following as their primary mode of transportation:
| Percentage of students (0-100) | Percentage of employees (0-100) | |
| Single-occupancy vehicle | 36 | 71 |
| Zero-emissions vehicle | 0 | 4 |
| Walk, cycle, or other non-motorized mode | 56 | 15 |
| Vanpool or carpool | 3 | 1 |
| Public transport or campus shuttle | 0 | 0 |
| Motorcycle, motorized scooter/bike, or moped | 5 | 1 |
| Distance education / telecommute | 0 | 8 |
Website URL where information about student or employee commuting is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
With both groups we find that sustainable commuting such as biking to campus (even for staff living farther away) is much higher between approximately April 1 - November 1.
In 2021 a major road reconstruction project was completed by the City of Holland right though a major campus street. Street parking was eliminated from one side of the road so this cut down on a lot parking that was available for students. With this project it also added safe cross walks in three areas of campus and also added bi-directional bike lanes. We have seen an uptick in biking/walking to campus by students because of this project.
Hope College also encourages participation in the greater Holland Area Green Commute Challenge so faculty, staff, and students can practice more sustainably transportation options that they can implement year round. http://www.the-macc.org/green-commute/
HOPE COLLEGE "WALK TO WORK PROGRAM"
A stable core-city neighborhood is vital to the mission of Hope College and to the Holland Community. The "Walk to Work Program" has been established to combat neighborhood deterioration, to improve the quality of life for members of the community, to serve as a catalyst for further efforts to improve core city neighborhoods, and to assist employees in building equity with home ownership.
The "Walk to Work Program" provides financial purchase and renovation incentives for benefit eligible Hope College and Creative Dining Services employees desiring to live in these targeted neighborhoods surrounding the College. Employees interested in this benefit are encouraged to visit the employee benefit page for specific policy details and information regarding the application and purchase process.
Information available to staff/faculty/students on our intranet website:
"Did you know we have internal Ride Exchange and Marketplace services designated only for students, faculty and staff of Hope College? You can find links to these anytime in the “Resources” menu on inHope.
Ride Exchange is a website on our campus Intranet for the Hope Community to share rides to home, the airport or elsewhere. If you need a ride, start by looking in the Can Give a Ride category for someone who is available. If there is no ride posted, submit a new post by clicking the Submit link at the top of the page and filling out the form."
With both groups we find that sustainable commuting such as biking to campus (even for staff living farther away) is much higher between approximately April 1 - November 1.
In 2021 a major road reconstruction project was completed by the City of Holland right though a major campus street. Street parking was eliminated from one side of the road so this cut down on a lot parking that was available for students. With this project it also added safe cross walks in three areas of campus and also added bi-directional bike lanes. We have seen an uptick in biking/walking to campus by students because of this project.
Hope College also encourages participation in the greater Holland Area Green Commute Challenge so faculty, staff, and students can practice more sustainably transportation options that they can implement year round. http://www.the-macc.org/green-commute/
HOPE COLLEGE "WALK TO WORK PROGRAM"
A stable core-city neighborhood is vital to the mission of Hope College and to the Holland Community. The "Walk to Work Program" has been established to combat neighborhood deterioration, to improve the quality of life for members of the community, to serve as a catalyst for further efforts to improve core city neighborhoods, and to assist employees in building equity with home ownership.
The "Walk to Work Program" provides financial purchase and renovation incentives for benefit eligible Hope College and Creative Dining Services employees desiring to live in these targeted neighborhoods surrounding the College. Employees interested in this benefit are encouraged to visit the employee benefit page for specific policy details and information regarding the application and purchase process.
Information available to staff/faculty/students on our intranet website:
"Did you know we have internal Ride Exchange and Marketplace services designated only for students, faculty and staff of Hope College? You can find links to these anytime in the “Resources” menu on inHope.
Ride Exchange is a website on our campus Intranet for the Hope Community to share rides to home, the airport or elsewhere. If you need a ride, start by looking in the Can Give a Ride category for someone who is available. If there is no ride posted, submit a new post by clicking the Submit link at the top of the page and filling out the form."
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.